Ties
by SimOph52
Summary: Who knew an inanimate object could tell you so much about a person? ONE-SHOT... there is some not-so lady like language in this one.


**This is something I cooked up a while back. I stopped writing it for a while because it was going in a smutty direction that I couldn't handle, but revisiting it later told me that it wasn't meant to be smutty at all. So enjoy it!!**

**Foul language ahead. If you don't like the sex talk... don't read this. Brennan gets mouthy.**

* * *

Temperance Brennan stepped onto the platform with as much confidence as she always portrayed. It was immeasurable. Her head held high and her brow creased in deep thought, she held a file close to her body as though it were a security blanket that she refused to let go of. The dark blue lab coat she wore was securely buttoned and form fitting her frame leaving no curve of her body to the imagination. Her hair was securely tied behind her head in a low pony tale that sat at the base of her neck as though placed there when examining something of great importance. Although the appearance of her mussed hair was not congruent with the rest of her pristine attire, it was evidence that she had quickly pulled it back as an after thought while concentrating solely on something else.

Some might say that her appearance was quirky or odd, especially to the other doctorates in the Jeffersonian, but when Angela Montenegro watched her friend mount the platform, the only word she could think of was 'endearing'. Despite her best friend's tough exterior, there were hints and clues hidden on Brennan's exterior that gave way to innumerable points of vulnerability and personalities that someone without a trained eye would overlook. For instance, the way she had walked up the stairs; on the third step Temperance had hopped slightly, giving the impression of a good mood, but no overly ecstatic. Her friend's mouth although rigidly forming a line across her face was curved at its corners and her eyes, although seemingly clouded with thought were bright and wide suggesting attentiveness and amusement. Angela knew there was something going on.

She quickly walked toward her friend with intent who was now sitting at one of the microscopes and peering inside the tuberous attachment with the file spread out in front of her and the sample placed underneath the bright light. She leaned down next to her friends ear and smiled, "Sweetie, care to indulge me in whatever it is you're thinking about?"

Brennan let a short loud laugh escape her lips, "I will never understand how you do that."

Angela rolled her eyes, "It's a gift. What is going on? Does it have something to do with a certain agent hottie?"

Brennan looked up at Angela with a look of disbelief, "Not at all. Booth and I are just partners, Angela. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Angela smiled, "An infinite number."

Brennan rolled her eyes and went back to the sample, "Jeremy from artifacts asked me out on a date."

Angela backed away a fraction from Brennan and walked around her chair so she could lean on the table that Brennan was sitting at. Her face had a huge smile plastered on it and she looked up at Hodgins who was sitting in front of a computer on the other side of the platform, "Hey Hodgie." She said loudly.

He turned to look at her, "Yes, my sweet?" he said in jest. Noticing Angela's smile he turned his rolling chair around to face the two women.

"Bren got asked out on a date. What do you say?"

Hodgins head turned askew and he looked at the ceiling for a moment and clasped his hands behind his head, "I say… Donald Duck."

Angela let out a loud laugh and nodded, "I have fifty on the crossing guard orange."

Hodgins let out an equally loud laugh. Brennan turned around in her rolling chair to look at the pair quizzically. When Cam began mounting the platform Brennan turned her attention to her, "What are they talking about?" she asked Cam.

Angela stepped in, "Brennan got asked out on a date; Hodgins says Donald Duck, I say the bright orange atrocity that looked like a crossing guard color."

Cam's eyes widened and she laughed, "I say…" Cam thought for a moment and her eyes widened in excitement, "I say the plain red. Anger." She said before moving to one of the examination tables on which lay a new body that had come in that day.

Brennan sat there, befuddled by her coworkers insane ramblings of cartoon characters and crossing guards and crossed her arms across her chest, "Would someone like to explain what is going on?"

The three in the know scientists looked at each other. Finally Angela pushed herself off of the table and walked in front of Brennan, "We're talking about Booth's tie."

Brennan furrowed her brow and looked at them all, "Why would you be talking about Booth's tie in reference to me being asked out on a date?"

Hodgins scoffed, "Do you remember what Gordon Gordon Wyatt told Booth about his socks and ties?"

Brennan searched her brain for some recollection of what it was, "Something about pent up frustration and the need to rebel."

Angela nodded, "Exactly, and every time you go out on a date with someone, like clockwork…"

Cam interrupted, "Booth comes in the next day wearing some extremely obnoxious and loud tie."

"That's ridiculous." Brennan said, "I didn't even accept the date."

Angela looked at her friend, "Then why were you all smiley?"

"I have the right to be flattered, don't I?" Brennan asked sarcastically.

"Regardless," Angela said, "The next time you accept a date from someone, watch his reaction. You've been working with him long enough to know when he's lying, right?"

Brennan nodded, turning back to the microscope, "Yes. I suppose I can do that."

* * *

Later that day, Booth strolled into Brennan's office. It was six o'clock and most of the other employs of the Jeffersonian had gone home for the night. She was sitting at her desk. When he walked in he was instantly enthralled by the dress she was wearing. It was black and form fitting and he couldn't help but loose his breath while taking the sight of her in.

"Woah, Bones. You look nice." He said walking up to her desk.

She smiled up at him from, "Thanks." Although it happened to be the outfit she wore to work that day merely because she had to do laundry, a few changes in jewelry were all that was needed to test the theory.

"So are you going somewhere or do you want to go to the diner for dinner with me?"

"Oh," she said looking down at her computer. She knew that she wasn't good at lying so she pushed a pencil off her desk 'accidentally' and bent down to pick it up, "Actually I have a date" she said, her voice muffled from underneath the desk. She popped back up and placed the pencil in front of her and smiled at Booth.

"Oh." He said, taking a step away from her desk and straightening out his tie. He cleared his throat and buttoned his suit jacket, "Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Brennan nodded and turned back to her computer. Booth walked to the door and looked at her, "Is there any news with the case?" he asked.

She looked up at him, startled that he was still there, "Nothing important yet, we're working on a few theories though."

Booth nodded and left. Watching him walk down the hall past her office, she smiled.

* * *

Booth had barely slept that night, blaming it on the cup of coffee that he had had before he went to bed. He knew better than to drink coffee after a certain time because he knew that he would never get to sleep, but just in case, he wanted to be awake to make sure that if Brennan called him needing his help at any point during her date, he would be able to get there in a timely fashion. He did this anytime she had a date. His phone volume would be set on high and he would cancel any plans he had to stay at home and wait for the call that he knew he would most likely never receive, but if the Army had taught him anything it was to expect the unexpected.

He had gotten up a little earlier than normal that day because of his restless sleep and taken a shower and gotten dressed by the time he heard a knock on his front door. Confused, he trudged his way to the door and opened it to find Brennan smiling with two cups of coffee in hand.

The sight of him made her heart skip a beat. He was practically dressed except for his half tucked in white button down with a few of the buttons at the top undone. His hair was still wet and un-styled from his morning shower and he was cleanly shaven. She walked past him and his confusion and into his living room where she took a sip of coffee and outstretched her hand gesturing that the other was his.

He took the cup from her and eyed her suspiciously, "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, "Should I go?"

He laughed and took a sip, "No, not at all. I'm just curious as to what prompted you to show up at my door at…" he said peering at the wall clock, "Six in the morning."

"Well, I am surprised to find you up, but I thought it would be a nice gesture. Normally you buy all the coffee and show up at my door. I decided to change the pattern."

He quietly laughed and shook his head, "Well, I'm not done getting ready. So, do you want to wait here?"

Brennan pursed her lips, "No, I'll come with you. Keep you company."

Booth's eyes widened, "Bones, I'm getting ready. I don't think that is… appropriate."

Brennan rolled her eyes, "You're already dressed, Booth. What's the big deal?"

Booth cleared his throat, "Fine."

He walked into his bedroom and Brennan followed behind him. He walked over to his bureau and opened the door revealing a mirror on the backside and a tie rack. Brennan studied the room. It was relatively clean which was not surprising for a man who had been in the military. There was a pair of shorts on the floor near his bed and she pretended not to see them. The sheets were still messed up from his nights sleep and she gently pulled the covers up a little and sat down on the comforter.

He looked at her sitting on his bed in the mirror and cleared his throat uncomfortably buttoning the remaining buttons at the top of his shirt and turning to continue the search for a tie. He grabbed one and popped his collar, slinging the tie around his neck.

"Aren't you going to ask me about my date?" she asked, unable to keep a small smile from forming on her lips.

He looked up at her again in the reflection, "I wasn't planning on it."

Brennan tilted her head to the side, "I thought we were friends."

"We are friends, Bones." He said, trying to remain focused on tying his tie, "I just would prefer not knowing all of the details of your… your…" he tried to finish the sentence but could bring himself to say it.

"My sex life?" she asked.

He looked down at his tie and loosened the askew knot and threw the tie back into the bureau. He looked at the tie rack again and picked out another one, this one more flashy than the last, "Yes."

She laughed inwardly at the sight and bit her lip, "Well, we did have sex." She said in a confirming tone.

"Bones!" he said loudly and turned to her, "What did I just say?"

"You said, 'Bones!'." She said. She knew what he was referring to but couldn't help make the joke. She laughed and watched him turn back to the mirror, hands fumbling on the tie.

"That is not what I meant and you know it." He said angrily.

She took a sip of her coffee and leaned back on one hand on his bed, "What is it that makes you so uncomfortable about sex, Booth? Is it some deep seeded issue or the fact that I'm the one who always tries to talk about it with you?"

Booth looked at her curiously and then quickly back at his tie, "You don't like psychology, Bones." He stated.

She looked away from him and glanced around his room, noticing the pictures that were scattered about. Most of them were of himself and Parker, but a few were of the two of them; sometimes with the squint squad, sometimes from newspapers from a crime scene and one in particular that had been taken at one of the Jeffersonian Galas that was just of the two of them. That picture was on his nightstand.

She looked at him with a catch in her throat, "Sometimes I think it's because you can't stand the thought of me with another man."

She could hear him take in a deep breath before responding, "That's… that's crazy, Bones."

She sat up straight on his bed and leaned her forearms on her knees, cradling the coffee cup between both of her hands and stared into the reflection of his eyes that were now looking at her, "So, what you're saying is that you don't mind that Jeremy kissed me?"

He tore his eyes away from her and pulled off the tie that he had been trying to fasten to his neck. He let this one drop to the floor and jammed his hand back into his bureau in search of another one, "No, Bones. You're a woman. Like you said, biological urges and what not."

Brennan nodded, a smile coming to her face when she noted the bright orange tie Angela had spoken about being gripped in his hand when he pulled it out and slung it around his neck, "So you definitely wouldn't be jealous to know that he kissed his way down my neck and lingered over my breasts?"

Booth closed his eyes and let a hard breath pass through his lips as though he were blowing out candles on a birthday cake, but unfortunately for him, this was no happy moment. What was she trying to do to him? Make him break his fist in the mirror? Make him find out who this 'Jeremey' was and kick the crap out of him?

His own voice surprised him with its weakness when he said, "No." He realized that he was trying to tie his tie in a frenzy only forcing himself to undo the entire mess and restart.

Brennan stood up, "And it definitely doesn't bother you that when he plunged into me, I immediately had an orgasm?"

Booth hit his head against the door of the bureau and his hands dropped from the tie, "What are you trying to do to me?" he asked her weakly.

She walked up behind him and he heard her moving closer, he turned quickly only to see her coming toward him with intent in her eyes. He tried to back away but the door stopped him. He took a half step toward her and the mirror began swinging violently behind him from his sudden movements.

She came up close to him, so close that their bodies were touching and she reached her arm around him and stopped the swinging with her hand. She looked up at him and dropped her arm, "You're doing this wrong." She said sounding like the tempest that she was at the moment. She placed her coffee cup on the nearby dresser and tugged on the tie to even it out appropriately.

Booth gulped loudly as she lifted her hands up and began tying his tie for him. His pants were growing increasingly less comfortable the entire time that she was in his house, but only now did he think that he might have to change them as well considering he could barely breathe at this point.

"And you're really not upset that we fucked for hours in every position imaginable?" she asked, her voice lower than usual.

He winced and turned away from her, "I need a different tie." He said in a strained voice.

"Why is that Booth? Suppressing the rage?" she asked, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest.

He reached up and placed a hand on his chest, noticing that not only was his tie tied but that his breathing had become erratic, "What do you want from me, Bones?" he said weakly. His head dropped down to his chest and he clenched his eyes closed. His chest constricted and he thought that he might actually cry at this point.

"I want the truth." She said giving up the seduction act and coming in full force emotional. Her hands dropped to her sides and she took a step toward him.

He looked up at her and into her eyes to see them pleading back at him, "I can't…" he said, his voice trailing off.

"Is it really worth it, Booth?" she said turning away from him and walking toward his bed. She sat down on the edge of the bed and perched her head into her hands.

Booth walked toward her and sat down next to her on the bed in defeat. He let out a shallow breath and ran his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry. I can't help this. I know it's unprofessional…"

Brennan snorted and rolled her head, "Is that what you think I'm talking about?" she said sarcastically. He looked at her confused, "I mean, I'm the first person to put my work ahead of anything and everything. Relationships, friends, fun. Even things that are necessary to survival pale in comparison to my job."

"I know." Booth said, "And that's why…"

"I wasn't finished Booth." She cut him off. She didn't want to hear what his 'solution' was because his last efforts to fix the 'problem' only made it worse. He became the unattainable and now, this moment was the only possible remedy to the situation. She needed to say what she was thinking before it was too late again and she had to wait for another opportunity. She wanted this now not after they both retire.

Brennan cautiously moved her hand over and grasped his. He immediately responded by holding onto her tiny hand firmly as if letting go of it would separate them forever, "Booth, you aren't like anything else in my life. Somehow over the past four years you have become a priority."

"A priority?" he asked.

Brennan nodded and turned her eyes away from him, "Perhaps even the only priority. And that stupid line of yours didn't help matters much with dealing…"

"With your emotions?" he asked. She turned back to him and realized now that she could see the beginnings of his charm smile.

She smiled back at him, "Yeah… whatever."

Booth scooted closer to her on the bed and began running his free hand against the back of hers, "So, what are you trying to say, Bones?"

Brennan cleared her throat and looked him in the eye, "I'm saying… screw the bureau and the line. Not being with you makes me unhappy and if the only way to remedy that unhappiness is to be with you, then so be it. It's not logical to be willingly sad all the time."

Booth laughed, "Are you saying that you've tried to remedy this problem?"

Brennan laughed and then pursed her lips, "Well, if you must know, some of the men I've slept with in the past were not on my mind when I was sleeping with them…"

Booth's smile evaporated slightly and he cleared his throat, "Like this Jeremey character?"

Brennan tried to bite back the smile, but she couldn't help it, "I actually didn't have a date last night."

"So why did you tell me that you were going out with someone last night?"

"I was asked out on a date by this Jeremey from artifacts but I declined and when I told Angela, she had suggested that the next time I went on a date that I should decipher your actions and see… what tie you wore to work the next day."

"Flashy if it bothered me and plain if it didn't." He said nodding his head in agreement.

Brennan nodded too, "Yeah. That's why I decided to come over here this morning. To see what tie you were wearing," she said flicking the tie that hung from his neck, "and to confront you about it."

Booth nodded and looked down at his extravagant tie, "It does look pretty silly doesn't it?" he asked.

"Orange is not your color."

Booth undid the tie from around his neck and slung it across the room toward his bureau, "So what now?"

"You know what is sexier that a man in a tie?" Brennan asked reverting back to her tempestuous self.

Booth smiled, "What is that?"

"A man taking one off." She said, lunging at him and pressing her lips to his. They fell back onto Booth's bed and he praised God that he had woken up early that day.

* * *

"Hey Bren!" Angela called as Brennan walked into the Medico legal lab.

"Morning Ange!" Brennan said meeting up with her.

"How was your night, sweetie?" Angela asked calmly, knowing that there was probably not much to tell.

"My night was relaxing." Brennan said nonchalantly.

Booth burst through the doors of the Medico legal lab with two large coffees in hand. He walked up to the two ladies and handed off a cup to Brennan, "Here you go."

Angela looked down and noticed the strange tie that Booth was wearing, "I've never seen this one before." She said, pointing at the tie.

"Oh," Booth said laughing, "yeah, this one doesn't make an appearance quite as often as I like. I only wear it when I'm really," Booth paused glancing over at Brennan for a moment, "almost or are blissfully happy." He said raising his eyebrows.

Angela's jaw dropped and she looked at Brennan and then back at the bright yellow smiley face tie, "What is the occasion Booth?" she asked.

Booth smiled and looked over at Brennan. She lowered her head to hide her blush from Angela. Booth looked back at Ange and full on charm smiled her, "Mind your own business Angela." He said, taking a step back and leaving opening the door, "I'll see you guys later." He said, then exiting the building.

"Sweetie! Did you sleep with Booth?" Angela asked excitedly.

"I believe the man told you to mind your own business." Brennan said smiling. She turned away from Angela and walked toward her office leaving Angela in the middle of the lab alone.

Her smile was as big as it had ever been and she jumped up and down. She turned around immediately and began running, "HODGINS! You'll never believe what tie he wore today!" Angela squeeled.

**THE END!**


End file.
